1. We all know that alcohol and dates are
a good combination (or bad, depends
on how you hold your alcohol) as it will
loosen you both up and it also sets up for
quite the exciting night afterwards [insert
winking emoji here]. So this is definitely a
date for three types of people: your long-
term partner who has had a massive few
weeks at work and is ready to celebrate,
date three with someone who doesn’t
really get out that often and doesn’t live
in the city, or your closest friend who you
haven’t had a night out with in a while.
If you are up for the walking, then a
bar hop is the perfect way to explore
Adelaide and show off your street
knowledge. Start at The Tasting Room in
the East End, where you can choose any
wine from the cellars and sit out in the
sun. Next stop is the brand new NOLA
for a beer, some snacks and slightly
increased conversation topics. After this,
stroll across the city to Peel Street and
have a sneaky cocktail at the leader of
the pack, Clever Little Tailor. If you can
get a booth up the top, your conversation
will turn intimate and you will find it hard
to leave, but you must because this date
is a bar hop. Next you are going to need
some food – you will not survive the night
otherwise – so stroll just up the road to La
Rambla for some tapas, wine and water!
Final stop is just around the corner at
Oscar Bar, where you can find cocktails
for drinking, music for dancing, and
darkness for anonymity. After that you are
on your own.
dates
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dates
Aspire South Australia december/january 16 43
It doesn’t matter if you are in a long-term relationship or single
and on the scene, dating takes a lot of work and sometimes you
need to get a little creative in order to impress. Be inspired by our
date-night hit list to get you all the summer romance.
words Adam Ross
photos Martin Ritzmann
collage Naomi Giatas
models Ellen Morgan and Josh Geelen

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dates dates
Yep, you may think that this sounds
a bit naff but have you actually
been bowling as an adult? It’s
quite fun and something a little
bit left of field. You either need
to be getting to know each other
and ready to have a bit of a laugh,
or you know each other so well
that you can both laugh at each
other. This is also an ideal date
for someone who is a little uptight
and needs to relax a bit – think
someone who has a stressful job or
lives in the city and never leaves.
Start the night with dinner and
a drink at either The Colonist or
Republic at Norwood. Both have
excellent food, great drinks lists,
and the perfect atmosphere to start
a date night. Then you can move
down the road to Kingpin Bowling
and rack up the old ten pins.
The thing you have to take into
account, however, is do you show
your strength and win the game
or let them win? (Note: if it’s early
days, smashing them may not be
the best strategy. Keep your eye on
the prize, and I’m not talking about
the best score in bowling.)
The classic date night. Seriously though,
is there anything better? Choosing the
destination, getting dressed up, sharing
food, getting to know each other’s
culinary likes and dislikes (if you don’t
already know this and you are in a long-
term relationship, you are in trouble),
choosing and sharing wine… it’s all just
so excellent. It’s the perfect date night for
everyone, no matter what. But where you
choose to go will depend on your date. For
the purpose of this example, let’s say that
you are on your second date with a foodie
who isn’t too much of a party animal.
Why not drive to the Barossa for
FermentAsian? If you haven’t been, the
wine list alone is reason to go. Or if you
want to stay in the city, head to Africola
for deliciousness and eccentricity that
you will talk about for weeks. Or for
something more casual and relaxed,
head to Osteria Oggi – it’s relatively
new, the menu is perfect for sharing,
and the Instagram photo opportunities
will get you 10+ likes in less than 10
minutes (Note: if it’s early days, don’t go
overboard with Instagram or Facebook.
You might not get the best responses
from your date if you spend too much
time on social media). If you want to have
a bit of an adventure, have drinks and
snacks at 2K.W., then move on for dinner
at Peel Street restaurant (in Peel Street),
and end your night for drinks and
dessert at Press* Food and Wine.
READWITHTolpuddleVineyardTasmaniaChardonnay2013$65

3. Art is always a risky one but can also position
you quite nicely for longevity as it shows
your cultural and creative side. This date is
definitely for either long-term relationships
where you know it’s a sure win, or for when
you are trying to impress someone you know is
into the arts and you are at least five dates in.
There are so many options in Adelaide:
Adelaide Festival, Fringe Festival, Adelaide
Festival Centre, Art Gallery of South Australia,
Artspace, SAMSTAG... just to name a few.
The benefit of this date is that it is generally a
day date and as a result can be as short or as
long as you like, and can also be followed by
dinner or drinks (see previous).
If the arts intimidate you and you aren’t too
sure what to say, then keep your comments
broad and generic. For the theatre: “I really
like how the light accentuated the mood
during that final scene, but I really don’t
think she felt comfortable in that role. I didn’t
believe her.” For an art gallery: “I love how
the shadow and light play off each other
to make the subject appear simultaneously
happy and sad.” Art-wank is a wondrous thing
and can save almost any arts-based situation.
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dates dates
Moonlight Cinema has all the elements of a perfect date
night for both a long-term couple and a newly dating
couple who are at least three or four dates in. This is
a date with your BAE (significant other)! You have the
movie options, which always include a great mix of
current releases and classics (Breakfast at Tiffany’s on
Valentines Day will make you the talk of the group texts
the next day). You have food and alcohol, including
BYO, which is a game changer because you can make
the date as casual (ciders, beers, basic snacks etc) or as
classy (wine, cheese, homemade dips etc) as you want.
You have the adventure of walking through Botanic Park
and it can get scary so you might want to stay close and
hold them just in case. You also have the fluctuating
weather, so if it gets cold you might just need to bring
out the top blanket to share body heat and no one is to
blame for the wandering hands under the blanket!
A wine tour is the type of date that you decide on the fly if your date has
stayed the night, if you have planned it in advance with your BFF, or if
you are trying to impress someone you met at a food and wine event.
McLaren Vale is the perfect Sunday wine tour location as you can
casually head out of the city, stop by the beach for a quick walk and
cute photo op, and then head on through for some wine. But before you
head out, you need some food, and My Kingdom For A Horse will sort
you out. You can sit at the window and watch Adelaide wake up as you
sip your coffee and eat your locally sourced produce.
As you head out of the city towards McLaren Vale, it can be
intimidating to think about where to start and how many wineries to
visit, but a good rule of thumb is to stick to three or four. Start at the
always-excellent Hither & Yon in Willunga, where you can sink into a
couch and plan your next weekend. Following this, head just down
the road to Penny’s Hill, where you can sample a wide selection of
wine and take a little walk through the vineyard surrounds. Next stop
is Alpha Box & Dice, where you can Instagram your adventures and
sample some of South Australia’s best wine. After this, it is time to sit in
the sun, enjoy a glass of wine, and take in the excellent scenery – there
is no better place than Samuel’s Gorge. When you leave the gorge and
head back to the city, you will be glowing with the memories of the
excellent day and the possibility of visiting the other great wine regions
on future Sunday dates.